Cruel Hearts

After peaceful silence returned in the room, Zu Yu and Xiang Qiao groomed Jiang Miao's hair. Zu Yu could not hold it in and voiced her grievance.

"Young lady, I think you let that Tian Yuan off rather easily. After how she disrespects us, she should better be flogged than let off with a mere warning."

"That's easier said than done," Jiang Miao replied in an even tone. "We are not in Prime Minister residence. To command the servants to deliver the punishment, that still requires authority. No matter what, the servants in the residence consider Madam Zhang as their Master, not me. When the time comes, who can guarantee if all the words would not be twisted and logic would not be forced and I would not be framed as the villain and Tian Yuan would not leave unscathed? Better not push them past their boundary lest they panic and do something that harms us instead."

Both maidservants were shocked. Their quiet Lady saying such words of deep insight was shocking to them. Xiang Qiao recovered first and asked. "Young Lady, what should we do with this porridge?"

Jiang Miao glanced at it, thinking of various methods to use it as evidence.

But she could not decide anything.

Li Shuren had always been careful. The dosage of the poison was extremely small, almost undetectable. A normal village quack would not be able to discern anything. Contrary, she would be blamed for framing her mother.

Jiang Miao recalled the sequence of events of her last life.

At that time, she could not even guess that it was her own kind and benevolent stepmother who planned to poison her; if told, Jiang Miao would simply refuse to believe.

Xiang Qiao had a hunch; Jiang Miao always ran a fever right after her meals. To confirm, Xiang Qiao had spied on Tian Yuan for days till she finally managed to catch Tiang Yuan putting something out of a vial into Young Lady's meals in a suspicious manner.

Xiang Qiao didn't do anything.

She waited a long time before finally warning Jiang Miao, mindful of Jiang Miao's timid nature, reluctant to scare her.

And what did Jiang Miao do?

She had straightforwardly asked Tian Yuan.

Tian Yuan didn't even need to think hard to convince Jiang Miao. Her excuse was the additive was an extract from a rare and expensive herb to help the Fourth Lady recover.

And Jiang Miao believed. Her simple, naive mind would rather believe these words than think someone malicious was conspiring against her.

In fact, Jiang Miao did not discover until late in her life that she had been fed slow poison over the course of years. It was only after arriving in Crown Prince's harem that Li Shuren lost the means to drug her and she regained some of her health. The competitive life in the Crown Prince harem taught her how cruel people's hearts were. She grew skeptical of everything and everyone.

At that time, her health had already deteriorated to an extreme extent. The poison also worsened her complexion and she could no longer compare to any of the sisters in the Prime Minster Manor.

However this time, things would be different.

Jiang Miao was about to say 'throw it away' but like lightning, an idea struck her. Her cherry red lips curled up and she said. "Save it, we might have a use for it."

...

From the debilitated hut where the Prime Minister's daughter stayed, Xiang Qiao emerged holding an empty bowl of porridge. Finding a sweeping girl staring at her, she rebuked. "What are you looking at! Go back to work!"

The sweeping girl immediately looked down and went back to sweeping. Once Xiang Qiao disappeared in the distance, she spat in contempt. Finishing her job quickly, she headed for Madam Zhang's place. Opening the door, she greeted Madam Zhang with a flattering smile. "Madam Zhang, Young Lady has eaten the porridge."

"You did not make a mistake?" A thin, old woman with dark skin scrutinized the servant girl.

"No, I saw Xiang Qiao taking the empty bowl outside with my own eyes."

Hearing this Madam Zhang relaxed her shoulders. "Still, how came there was such a sudden change in her temperament? She didn't have any suspicions, did she?"

"She must have been incited by her maids, especially that Zu Yu. I have already said it before. Find a way to sell those lowly maids away. They really think they are superior just because they serve a concubine daughter!" Tian Yuan said in resentment recalling the look of triumph over Zu Yu's face back when she had to kowtow, the anger burned in her memory.

"Can't even handle a job well, you don't have a right to complain. You better not mess again!" Madam Zhang rebuked. She was aware that Tian Yuan had been negligent in preparing Jiang Miao meals but she turned a blind eye to it. But as long as Jiang Miao took the poison, it did not concern her rather the Prime Minister's daughters had dregs for her meals. However, now, if Jiang Miao wanted to hand her meals to her own maidservants, it would be inconvenient. "I will need you to keep an eye on that girl."

The sweeping girl accepted the silver with a gratifying smile. "Madam Zhang, rest assured, I'll do my best." She retreated.

"And you!" Madam Zhang pointed at Tian Yuan, "I will personally lead you to Jiang Miao and we'll have to sort this out."

...

"Young Lady is planning to go out?" After returning to the room, Xiang Qiao asked, puzzled.

"The weather is rather nice. A stroll outside won't hurt one's health." Replied Jiang Miao after looking through the contents of the chests she brought back to Manor. Her brows delved into a frown; the items were not half as many as she had embarked to the countryside with.

After carefully selecting a few, she tossed them to Xiang Qiao. "Pack them up."

"Young Lady was not selecting the jewelry to wear it?" Befuddled, Xiang Qiao blinked at Jiang Miao. Why was there any need to pack it?

"Why would I wear such absurd things. It has some other purpose."

Xiang Qiao wanted to probe but looking at the self-assured mannerism of her Young Lasy she gulped down her queries and skillfully closed the items in a bag, concealing it in her robes.

"However Young Lady..." She was apprehensive as Jiang Miao took the charge to step outside.

"If Young Lady wants something, this servant will run the errand for you. Young Lady's body has been sick, it's better to nurse one's health." Even the typical boisterous, simple Zu Yu was unwilling to let Jiang Miao outside.

The reason was simple. The servants in the residence had always disregarded their lady; some going as far as to openly mock Jiang Miao.

After a couple of such bitter incidents, Jiang Miao lost her heart and stayed cooped in her room, barely seeing the light of the day.

It was easy to scare Tian Yuan using 'Prime Minister Jiang residence rules'. After all, Tian Yuan was from the main residence and she had seen servants being punished with her own eyes in the Capital. Disciplining servants was a common occurrence, sometimes resulting in gruesome deaths. Prime Minister Jiang's residence was strict when it came to managing servants.

With a sheer number of rivals in the political situation of the Capital, Prime Minister Jiang could not afford a spy slipping into their inner circle.

But these servants in this residence were mere countryside folks, didn't witness anyone brutalized with the harsh punishment. And what the eye doesn't see, it doesn't believe.

They were inclined to believe what they saw.

And what they saw was just a neglected, timid Miss from Capital who could be easily bullied without any retribution.

However, Jiang Miao didn't heed their advice. Instead, the corner of lips. "I'm the biological daughter of Prime Minister Jiang. I have no reason to hide, if someone disagrees with me, he can come to confront me directly, I won't yield."

If she yielded in front of those mere servants, how could she fight with those monsters who had their fangs bared for her in Capital?